


The Vampire King

by Emono



Series: Prince Ryan AU [4]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Backstory, Blood Drinking, Intimacy, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Smutlet, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-19 07:28:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5958856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emono/pseuds/Emono
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The young Prince Ryan gets kidnapped by a king that only existed in fairytales - a Vampire King, Joel. But this creature is polite, handsome, regal. He is a blood drinker but not a monster. A true suitor, curse or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Here's the link for the[Prince Ryan AU tag](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/tagged/prince-ryan-au) on my tumblr. TLDR: Ryan is a prince with a curse upon him that attracts all sorts of creatures, monsters, people, animals. His suitors are made up of a terrifying monsters. Check out "Ensnare" for the full list. This is all in good fun, just mucking around. If you have a question come ask.**

 

* * *

 

 

Ryan nervously paced the wide room, fingers dancing over the collar the Vampire King had placed around his throat. It was solid gold, flexible like leather, forming to his throat and widening purposefully over his pulse points. _Protection_ , the king had called it. He checked himself in the reflection of a small wall mirror and couldn’t help but admire the collar for its beauty. There was a hint of diamond along the edges but otherwise it was shined to perfection, laying down the front of his throat and dipping into a drip between his collarbones. It was warm from his skin and comfortable but the implication of it made his stomach clench.

  
  


Joel, the fabled Vampire King himself, was a polite creature. Tall, dark, and handsome with a smooth voice like the velvet of his rich clothes. He was the one who had greeted Ryan when he woke up in this place, all smiles and careful hands to help him sit up and to give him some clear water from a goblet. The room was lavish, similar to his own back home, but set in deep reds and blacks, artifacts that looked far older than him sitting around like common knick-knacks. The bed was up on a dias on the other side of the room, rounded unlike his own and piled in more silks than he’d ever seen on one bed. It was grand, much more than his own. He was tempted to sprawl into it, sink into the softness and ease back into a deep sleep.

  
  


Ryan struggled to remember how he’d gotten there to begin with. He’d been at the edge of the south side of the forest to check for signs of young bucks, examining the trees for markings of their fresh horns, and then a shadow. Several shadows. Tightness in his chest and then nothing at all.

  
  


Ryan’s pacing paused as he heard the door unlock in several places. His shoulders went tense as it pushed open and there was only a slight relief when it was Joel who stepped through the door. The vampire smiled, fangs glinting in the torchlight, and then closed the door behind him.

  
  


“Good evening, Prince James, I hope your rest was pleasant under the circumstances.”

  
  


Ryan tried not to chew at his lip, afraid that any rush of blood to the surface of his skin would get him pinned and drained. “You woke me once already. To put this collar on me, in fact.”

  
  


“Yes, to make sure you weren’t under any lasting effects of your...transport,” Joel said carefully, his smile almost sheepish. “I left for your privacy to sleep more if you wished, my prince. There is fruit and water, I made sure.”

  
  


The vampire’s eyes went to the solid oak table and Ryan followed the gaze. The food and drink were there, as he said, but untouched past that first goblet of water that he’d sipped to clear the roughness in his throat and only because he’d been too dazed to realize what was happening.

  
  


“Yes, and most likely laced with poison. Or blood.”

  
  


Joel tisked, slowly making his way towards the human. “I’m disappointed at your ignorance. A sharp boy like you? I expected you to be educated on vampires.”

  
  


“I am,” Ryan lied, countering the approach with careful sidesteps.

  
  


“If you were, you would know we would never do something so crude as to lace food with our blood. It’s too precious.” Joel shed his heavy jacket and revealed a white, crisp shirt that hung open at the neck. Ryan made a point not to stare at the ivory flesh. “And to poison our food...that’s just silly. If I wanted to eat you, my prince, I would have already.”

  
  


“Why do you keep calling me that?”

  
  


“What?”

  
  


“ ‘My prince’,” Ryan grit out. “Though I thought you were a rumor, a folk tale, I _do_ know of you. A king of the undead, a vampire, older than any man alive and ten times as strong. A blood drinker, a creature of the Old Gods.”

  
  


“Flatterer,” Joel laughed softly, trying to make light of the sharp tone. “I call you such because you _are_ my prince. Heir to the Realm. Though my kingdom may be a more quieter one, one operating under different rules than the norm, I see you as my equal in royalty. Your family line was as chosen as mine, though yours by the New Gods and mine by the Old.”

  
  


“There can’t be two kings,” Ryan stated stubbornly, reaching out and holding onto one of the chairs at the table. The polish was smooth under his palm and it helped ground him in this strange, unearthly situation. “And you collared me, like an animal.”

  
  


“For your protection, as I told you,” Joel insisted. “This castle is full of my loyal subjects, more children of the Old Gods. I’m not saying I don’t trust them, but.” The vampire laughed, a genuine sound that struck Ryan in the chest in a way that wasn’t unpleasant. “I _don’t_. You are precious, every drop of your blood is worth my life and the life of every one of my subjects. If a rogue were to slip inside my chambers and drink from you...I would never forgive myself.”

  
  


“By kidnapping me and locking me in your chambers, collaring me, you’re _protecting_ me?” Ryan barked out a laugh, nervous and furious. “I’ve heard my lion’s share of excuses from monsters who have been drawn in by my curse, but this is rich.”

  
  


“Please, Your Grace, sit,” Joel urged, still going slow as he walked up to the table and sat down. He took up a glass decanter full of a dark liquid and poured himself a goblet, intrigued at the way the prince looked on not with disgust but of curiosity. “Wine, I assure you. We hardly know each other yet, Prince James, I won’t make you watch something you’re uncomfortable with. You are human and I respect that.”

  
  


Ryan sat down as well, a power move to show his confidence that only further amused the king. “I’m not uncomfortable. I’ve seen my share of blood.”

  
  


“For one so young?” A dark brow rose. “I’m sincerely surprised.”

  
  


Ryan managed a smirk, pride gleaming in his bright eyes. “You don’t know a lot about me, do you?”

  
  


“That’s why we’re here, to learn,” Joel replied smoothly, fingertips kissing the stem of the goblet.

  
  


“Then let me start off by saying my many suitors call me by my middle name, Ryan,” the prince started off, trying to mirror the king’s casual grace. “And that those suitors are all ravenous, blood-thirsty creatures far more deadly than you.” It was Joel’s turn to look surprised. “All sorts seek me out, my lord. Other kings, giants, magic folk, even a mythical beast or two. _A dragon_. You are not the most terrifying by far. Handsome, though.”

  
  


He rolled an apple off the platter before him and let his thumb trace the curve. “A bit older than I’m used to.”

  
  


“You’re just being cheeky with me now.” Joel grinned and the sight of those fangs wasn’t nearly as scary now. “I was turned in my prime”

  
  


“My usual suitors seem more...youthful,” Ryan considered the word carefully. “Young souls.”

  
  


“A dragon with a young soul?”

  
  


“He’s very playful and fiery,” Ryan half-teased, nail biting into the apple’s firm flesh. “ _Protective_.”

  
  


Joel took a sip of wine to hide his smile. He hadn’t enjoyed himself this much in quite some time and the night was young. “Do I have to worry about an enraged dragon attacking my kingdom?”

  
  


“Yes.”

  
  


“Unfortunate,” Joel chuckled, swirling the dark wine to watch it reflect the light. “Tell me, my prince-”

  
  


“ _Ryan_.”

  
  


Joel’s fangs briefly caught his lip. “Do you consider me a suitor of yours? Have I earned such a privilege?”

  
  


_That_ caught Ryan off guard and it was endearing the way the prince blushed and looked down at the floor.

  
  


“Tell me, _Ryan_ , have you found the spell upon you a blessing or a curse? I have heard both.”

  
  


The prince stayed quiet for quite some time. He took the apple between his hands and played with it in his lap. It was endearing. “The spell has brought me many friends and has let me see the beauty in people. And allies, it has brought me plenty of those.”

  
  


“Like a dragon,” Joel offered with a raise of the goblet, taking another small sip. “Are there any others who you find pleasurable company? The tales of your kidnappings reach far through the Realm.”

  
  


“There are plenty,” Ryan replied a little too sharply. “To name just one - the most excelled natural wizard the Realm has ever had the privilege of harboring. He lives deep within the forest, where even the Creeper King can’t often reach. Maybe you’ve heard of him?”

  
  


“Raymond.”

  
  


Ryan’s mouth dropped open in dumbfoundment, apple fumbling out of his nervous hands and thudding on the carpet. He quickly picked it up and placed it on the plate, leaving it alone. “You know him?”

  
  


Joel’s expression was painfully neutral, unreadable. He poured another goblet of wine and pushed it toward the prince with a soft nod. Ryan didn’t drink but he accepted the polite token, giving his fingers something else to fiddle with. “Child, I was in attendance for Raymond’s Naming Day. I saw him damp and wrapped in silk, presented to the sun and the cheers of the kingdom.”

  
  


“My word,” Ryan breathed, eyes rounded out almost comically. “Is he…?”

  
  


“A prince? No. Does he have royal blood, of course.” Joel chuckled lightly. “You seem shocked. I believe his demeanor has always given him away.”

  
  


“The last time I saw him he was naked in the dirt,” Ryan deadpanned.

  
  


Joel raised his fingers to his lips, holding back a boisterous laugh. “His father was a Duke, not a relative of your royal tree but of another, older line in the Southernmost kingdom. His father was a friend of mine for a long time and invited me to his birth and Naming Day.” A pale thumb traced the rim of his goblet, skin staining pink. “He was a tiny thing. His mother was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen, and with sleeping magic in her blood. It blossomed in her son. I have a painting or two of his family somewhere in this lonely place, I could show you?”

  
  


“I...I would greatly enjoy that.” Ryan felt humbled. This vampire was being gentle with him, treating him with respect, and though he had kidnapped him there were creatures who had done far worse to him. He reached up and touched the gold collar at his throat, feeling a hum of protective magic just beneath his fingertips. The feeling of a threat was long gone. “Could you tell me how Ray ended up like he did?”

  
  


“You mean in the deepest part of your haunted forest with a towering, cozy home that to others would just be a grand, hollowed out tree?”

  
  


Ryan had been to the wizard’s tree-trunk home several times and it was just how the vampire described. “I had no idea Ray even knew other people. He always seemed to be a hermit to me.”

  
  


Joel’s lips quirked in a ghost of a smile. “There isn’t much of a story, I’m afraid. Raymond’s mother passed, his father grew distant and threw himself into running his kingdom, so he took his growing powers and a bundle of personal belongings and left.”

  
  


“Just like that?” Ryan asked in amazement, brows shooting up to his hairline. “He left his family and his people, his title?”

  
  


“Lands, money, future betrothed, _everything_ ,” Joel tisked. “His father was devastated but he respected Raymond’s decision to go forth and build his skills instead of living the life he was born into. Though I haven’t seen it in years, I hear the gardens in the Southern kingdom all grow great bushels of roses in honor of his memory. He’s been north for so long without contact, the South believes him dead.”

  
  


“He’s very much alive,” Ryan assured him.

  
  


Joel stared down into his goblet. “Believe me, I know. We were friends once.”

  
  


“You know Ray as he is now?” Ryan asked, intrigued. “He doesn’t seem the type to associate with vampires.”

  
  


“He’s not the type to associate with anyone,” Joel grieved, humor bleeding out of his voice. “I will admit I miss him.”

  
  


“Did you two have a falling out? I wouldn’t be surprised, he can be very blunt.”

  
  


True sorrow swirled in the dark depths of the creature’s eyes and Ryan felt a heavy pang of sympathy. “No, sweet prince. I was the one who severed our relationship. I was a hindrance to his life, a reminder of his abandoned responsibilities. Being around me was like being surrounded by the echos of what could have been.”

  
  


“Ray...was not made for a gilded cage,” Ryan admitted, remembering the soft spoken wizard that had fed him such ripe berries and pet through his hair like it was gold silk. “You and I can shoulder the weight of a crown, but he is made for being outside. Have you seen him in the sun?”

  
  


“He’s stunning,” Joel breathed out, fingers rubbing firmly over his forehead. “He always has been. How lucky you are to receive his affections.” When he raised his eyes he found the prince staring at him, eyes cutting right into him. Curse or not, Joel was drawn to this human. If not for the tug on his heart that said _mate_ then for the intelligence in his gaze, the fire in his chest, the air of innocence he maintained while showing unwavering strength in the face of a creature three or four times older than himself with another raw power to break his neck if desired.

  
  


“Friends,” Ryan said, word clipped off tight.

  
  


“Yes.” Joel could hear the thinness in his own voice. “For a time.”

  
  


“Lovers,” Ryan stated in the same tone.

  
  


“You’re jealous,” Joel observed coolly. “That’s rather amusing coming from a prince with such a diverse harem.” He grinned, fingers tapping loudly on the wood to mix with the prince’s indignant grunt. “Forgive me. A fine array of _suitors_.”

  
  


“Are you questioning my morals?” Ryan shot back, cool and sharp as ice.

  
  


“Those whispers must hurt,” Joel sympathized.

  
  


“Whore prince,” the boy spat, glaring down at his own hand laying on the table. “As if anything I do is their business. I love my people but their gossiping ways turn my stomach. What I do with my suitors if private.”

  
  


“As are mine,” Joel parlayed. “But I will let you know that it is not your morals I call into question but my own, especially at a time like this when I look upon you and all I can feel is…”

  
  


“Hunger?” Ryan prompted.

  
  


“ _Desire_. Intrigue.”

  
  


The prince’s blush burned all the way down his throat, disappearing under the gold collar. “My lord, you flatter me.”

  
  


“Your essence called to me, then your scent,” Joel trailed off, reaching over and touching the human’s hand. It was just the barest of fingertips upon knuckles but it felt like fire between them. “Now, my dear prince, it is the color of your eyes. The timber of your voice. The crease of your eyes when you smile, even if it’s just from mocking me.”

  
  


Ryan stared at where they touched, breath stolen by the weight of the moment.

  
  


“I will let you go if you wish. One word, and I will never bother you again,” Joel promised, fingers running over the hills of the prince’s knuckles. “But if you allow me, I wish to throw my hat in the ring. A few days is all I ask. A few days to get to know you, to let you know me in return.”

  
  


“What are you offering me?” Ryan breathed out, hand twitching under the creature’s touch.

  
  


“My heart,” Joel confessed, a painful honesty etching across his handsome face. “A few glasses of wine, a feast, the opportunity to pamper you as you would be if you were to consider this a home.”

  
  


“As if I were your queen?” Ryan offered.

  
  


“The Creeper King.” Joel huffed fondly. “No, I do not seek a queen and a mother to heirs. If I were to be given the opportunity and blessing, I would ask you to bond to me and become a king, as you were meant to me. A partner to rule the children of the Old Gods.”

  
  


“A mate,” he clarified, thinking of Michael’s lovingly hissed words as they rutted.

  
  


“A bride, we once called them, but Beloved will do.” Joel lifted his hand and gestured with a swirl of silver-ringed fingers. “You will find us to be overly romantic creatures.”

  
  


“I believe I already have.”

  
  


Joel watched the prince try to hide a fond smile and his sluggish heart felt like a bird. “My word.”

  
  


Ryan brushed his bangs back nervously. “What?”

  
  


“That smile. By the gods, it’s disarming.”

  
  


Ryan flustered and tripped over a few words, hands shooting to his lap so he could clutch his fingers. It was one of the sweetest things Joel had seen in his long life and he wanted so desperately to sweep the prince up into his arm and kiss him senseless. That was when the vampire knew it was time to take his leave.

  
  


“I will leave you to get dressed and refresh yourself, have the servants run a bath and bring new clothes.” Joel stood and bowed low at the waist. “I humbly ask for the honor of your company this evening.”

  
  


Ryan suddenly could feel the weight of the color at his throat. “For what?”

  
  


“I would like to show you our courtyard, enjoy the sunset, and maybe some light reading before dinner.”

  
  


Ryan was taken aback. “And you will be serving…?”

  
  


Joel let his fangs show as he suppressed a chuckle. “Beef, in many styles. A favorite of yours, I’ve heard. Many root vegetables in several sauces with some pastries. We don’t often have such human treats so the chefs are excited to try their skills. They’re eager to know what you think.”

  
  


“Oh.” Ryan quickly stood up and put on a polite smile. “I would enjoy that greatly, my lord. Only if I am allowed a short sword to defend myself.”

  
  


“Of course, anything you want is yours,” Joel agreed easily.

  
  


“And _human_ servants. Please.”

  
  


“We have a dozen very loyal, very sweet human women who take care of those of us who live in the castle. They will be at your disposal.” Joel flicked the ring on his hand, babbling nervously so he could have a reason to stay longer in the prince’s presence. “They have already heard of your arrival and are eager to meet you. You are their prince, after all. Even if they’ve chosen to live here among us blood drinkers.”

  
  


“I am eager to meet them as well.” Ryan glanced toward the bed, then back at the table, then to the king. “I am eager to experience all this private kingdom has to offer.”

  
  


“My prince,” Joel exhaled, smiling brightly to show all his teeth. “To hear those words is like bringing sunlight back to the castle. I beg you, relax, I will send the women up and I shall...leave you.”

  
  


“I look forward to our time.”

  
  


“As do I, more than I can express.” Joel backed up towards the door. “Later.”

  
  


“Later,” Ryan chuckled, a little giddy as the king slipped out the door. It was left unlocked and he He sat back down and let himself breathe, to let his muscles relax. He was not a prisoner. This was another creature snagged by the curse, that’s all. Another suitor trying to win him over. _A king at that._

 

  
He hoped the books in the library would shed some light on vampires. He couldn’t very well dine with a complete stranger. _And he knows Ray...he can’t be all bad._

  
  


  
  


 


	2. Chapter 2

Ryan was returned, as promised, at the end of the week. His knights were overjoyed to see him, his people rejoiced at his safe return. Geoff was beside him, checking him over frantically for fang wounds but there wasn’t a scratch. Barely even a chaffed spot from the collar he’d worn all week. The prince had returned...glowing, pampered into a soft, pliant boy who glided when he walked.

  
  


“I was taken by a king of the Old Gods,” Ryan replied smoothly as his court fluttered around him, nervous and concerned. “And then I was given back.”

  
  


The servants listened closely to the prince’s lovestruck babble as Geoff led him to his chambers for rest. The rumors spread of a chivalrous king hidden in the sunless valleys, a blood drinker with an ageless beauty. A born and bred royal, someone who impressed their prince. It was only the second successful suitor that was of royal blood, though many questioned the validity of the Creeper King’s claim now that they knew he was more than a rumor.

  
  


They Heyman line was one known by those who were interested in royal history but had long thought to be faded out.

  
  


“Did you like him?” Geoff asked wearily once the kitchen servant left the prince’s chambers. They had left behind a tray filled with honey drizzled figs and thick cuts of goose. Ryan happily started to pick at it, gulping down his wine with relish after sticking to water his entire visit with Joel. (He hadn’t wanted to take the risk of ingesting blood, no matter how much he trusted the creature.) “Was he more like your dragon or your giant?”

  
  


“I don’t compare any of them in any way, they deserve much better than that,” Ryan chastised, tongue chasing a stray drop of wine on his thumb. He shot a glare at his knight across the table from him, firelight dancing across an exhausted face and deep, sleepy eyes. But it quickly melted to sheer warmth. He’d been gone too long, he missed his Painted Knight. “He was very good to me, Geoffery. We talked for… _hours_ , and he did nothing more than kiss my hand goodbye.”

  
  


“Unlike that dragon, who rode you the minute he had you in his grasp,” Geoff muttered bitterly.

  
  


“I never should have told you that,” Ryan said with a sly smile. He could remember his first time with Michael with great fondness. The first kidnapping had ended with Michael in a crude human form and his mouth wrapped around the prince’s cock, swallowing his seed with warm purrs. Though Michael was made of fiery passion and carved of lust, he’d been very careful with his sharp teeth around such delicate flesh. He believed Joel would be the same way if they got to that point. _Careful_. It was always a potent moment when such deadly monsters treated him so tenderly.

  
  


“So you _do_ like him?”

  
  


Ryan polished off his wine before slumping into his seat, still smiling. “Geoffery, let me put it this way. I have one more suitor now and this one might actually send me official courting gifts.”

  
  


“How exciting,” Geoff drawled, pouring a heavy goblet for himself. He didn’t look pleased but the prince knew that with every suitor his knight was bearing more weight of worry. The kidnappings were getting more frequent and he knew Geoff was going to go grey early trying to keep him safe. “And this one...by the gods, my prince...a blood drinker. That’s a new horror for my nightmares.”

  
  


“Are you scared?” Ryan tried to tease.

  
  


Blue eyes caught him and there was such profound dread within them that his heart felt like it dropped right through his ribs and down into his stomach. “Scared of finding you bloodless and discarded like locus shell? _Yes_.”

  
  


Ryan blanched. “Joel would never.”

  
  


“ _Joel?_   Joel is a _monster_!” Geoff roared, cup flying to the floor and wine splashing. Ryan drew back, hurt by the burst of aggression. The knight pursed his lips into a stark white line and swallowed down any further outbursts. “You’d do well to remember that.” He dropped into a bow, hiding the barely contained rage slithering across his face. “I bid you goodnight, Your Grace.”

  
  


“Geoff-” Ryan called out, jumping to his feet. But the knight was far faster than him and was already at the door. “Come back here at once!” The man paused at the open door, not even turning around. “Don’t walk away from me. I’ve done nothing to earn this.”

  
  


“Letting these creatures drag you around is going to end in a quick trip into the ground,” Geoff hissed out. “One day someone will take you and it won’t be some undead _king_ or a love drunk wizard but a _true_ monster. And I know, without a doubt, it’ll be _me_ who finds your bones.” Geoff’s inked knuckles went white as he clutched at the doorway. “You selfish _child_!”

  
  


Ryan took a step back and ran into his chair, flubbing on an explanation. “I-I was fine the whole time, he even gave me a sword. None of my suitors have ever threatened my life. I have always come back, have I not?”

  
  


“Yes.” Geoff let out a slow breath, steadying himself. When he spoke again it was a cold, clipped tone. “I’m glad you keep such happy company, Ryan. I pray to the gods every day it will last and they keep you well.”

  
  


“They do,” Ryan rasped, clutching at the table. “They would destroy anyone who tried to hurt me. Ray knew this king and there was plantlife to call to him if I needed help.”

  
  


Geoff’s shoulders slumped. “That’s something.”

  
  


“It is.” Ryan grit his teeth, fighting off an upset of tears. “Why are you being like this?”

  
  


“Because every day it seems you run fast and hard away from me, where I can’t reach you,” Geoff admitted gravely, starting out the door with heavy feet. “Right out of my arms. And there will come a time when you _don’t_ return and I know that’s the day my life will end. By the gods, I am a foolish man.” _I will never be enough for you._

  
  


“Geoff?” Ryan whined, afraid to follow him. “Geoff, wait…”

  
  


And then he was alone.

  
  


The next morning Geoff showed up at his door again in better spirits, waving off his tantrum and any mention of it. Ryan was so relieved that he was forgiven that he forgot to ask what exactly he’d done to wound his friend so.

  
  


o0o0o0o

  
  


The next kidnap was just Jack, surprisingly. The giant was waiting for him at the Eastern edge of the forest and he simply went with his suitor, happy to bask in his warmth and disappear up into the clouds on the thick stalk that only appeared when Jack himself willed it. It was a little disappointing, he thought Joel would try to make a move or Gavin would show himself as he usually did after a capture.

  
  


But a few days in Jack’s cozy cloud cabin, grooming his beard into braids and letting the giant prepare the smallest meals possible to feed him...he returned and his life felt normal. Then the gifts started to arrive.

  
  


King Haywood was quite pleased when they started to arrive. Artifacts, large game from further reaches of the forest than the royal huntsmen could reach, stacks of books and scrolls that the scholars salivated over, and even some small pieces of jewelry and fine fabrics. He thought his son had a suitor, a true suitor, but when the painting of a Southern kingdoms’ royal family showed up before him in court he knew there were very few people who could have had such a rare thing.

  
  


The next gift, a pile of thick furs, came with a name.

  
  


“To High King Haywood, from your most quiet servant - King Joel, Ruler of the Children of the Old Gods. A courting gift of furrs to your son, His Grace, Prince James.” Kdin lowered the scroll, smiling brightly. “With your blessing of course, Your Majesty.”

  
  


Ryan’s sheepish, innocent smile just barely got him out of getting a tongue lashing in court for his choice of suitors. That is, the acceptance of such suitors, since his son downright refused to return anything. To prove to the king that Joel meant no harm, Ryan began to write letters to the vampire and sending human messengers to deliver them. The contents of were of no import, simple conversation, and it seemed the court waited with held breath until the courier returned.

  
  


The young man was unharmed and smiling, confessing he found the court of vampires pleasant and welcoming. “It could have easily been any human court.”

  
  


So, like with all of Ryan’s strange and unsettling suitors, the king let it pass.

  
  


But the letters continued. Young Ellis seemed more than happy to make the trip back and forth to the valleys, taking letters and growing friendly with Joel’s court (and the king himself). Joel told him of the court, the gossip, his subjects growing love for Adam and the fresh requests to do more trading with humans. Ryan wrote back his joy to hear that and offered names for good traders, and confessed the courting gifts that had been sent were very well cherished.

  
  


On and on it went, each letter carefully tucked away in a locked drawer of Ryan’s desk. They grew closer over the next two months, talking as fast as the letters allowed. They both wrote pages and pages of flowy, educated script. Joel penned poetry for the prince and Ryan...made an attempt. An attempt that was greatly enjoyed by the king and assured the apologies that followed the script were not needed as they were perfect just the way they were.

  
  


The other suitors could feel the rumblings of a new challenger. Many knew of the Vampire King and it was not exactly pleasant to have him join the ranks of royal suitors. Ray, in particular, was displeased.

  
  


But they extended the usual courtesy for new suitors and purposefully did _not_ go to rip out his throat with their bare teeth.

  
  
  


 


End file.
